As state senators on Tuesday considered the governor’s three nominees to the new Cannabis Control Commission, some of the state’s roughly 60 licensed cultivators implored decision-makers to move faster in opening more cannabis stores to carry their product – and save their businesses.
“It is a necessity for survival of business, for revenue and jobs,” said Nick Lacroix, president of Warwick-based Mediflor Organics. “The cultivators have already seen a 30- to 40-percent layoff rate. We don’t have the outlets to sell to.”
Last year’s law that legalized recreational cannabis called for 24 more stores eventually, beyond the nine dispensaries now operating or in the planning stages.
But until the cannabis commission and its advisory board are up and running and establishes a means of awarding more licenses, no new stores are expected to open until the end of 2024 at the earliest, with 2025 being more likely.
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